Why ‘15-30’ cops still abound

AS I have mentioned in a previous column, the Philippine National Police can really get rid of rogues in uniform if there will be an honest-to-goodness and very thorough implementation of its comprehensive disciplinary mechanisms signed by General Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa last year.

The mechanism, if followed to the hilt, will greatly help ferret out so-called ’15-30’ policemen and those who are using government time to do other personal business and worst, cheating their work hours thru connivance with their superiors and colleagues. These are the policemen who, while supposed to be on an 8-hour daily shift, only do a 6-hour duty or two hours less of work everyday.

My friend, Quezon City Police District director, Chief Superintendent Gilor Eleazar said he is very particular when it comes to the work ethics of his mobile patrol officers. Eleazar said he has required all his mobile crews not to go far from their mobile cars as they are always under public scrutiny.

He issued the reminder after being told that a QCPD mobile car with body no. ‘QC 77’ was seen parked in front of a pizza shop in Libis, Q.C. with its crew missing early morning last Monday. The crewmembers claimed they were just sitting near the area.

But still, Eleazar said he has asked the concerned policemen to explain since they should always be seen inside their patrol car or if not, should be doing patrol in its vicinity, their presence meant to assure the public that cops are around to help them and are not missing in action.

Speaking of the comprehensive disciplinary mechanisms signed by Gen. dela Rosa, I think it was also designed to help arrest the presence of ’15-30’ cops. However, has it really been effective in ferreting out these ghost policemen” who continue to receive their pay and other benefits despite their failure to perform their full-time police duties since they are either busy with their personal businesss, are abroad or are acting as bodyguards for VIPs.

National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Odie Albayalde said that apart from going after policemen drinking or sleeping while on duty, he wil go after these ‘ghost’ cops. True enough, Albayalde the other day ordered the relief of two Manila policemen for the said offense.

The two were identified as Senior Inspector Consorcio Pangilinan, the intelligence chief of the MPD Station 6 and Police Officer 3 Jonathan Alquiros. Both were reassigned to the MPD District Administrative Holding Unit on orders of MPD director, Chief Supt. Jigs Coronel pending the result of the investigation ordered by Albayalde into their reported misdemeanors.

Albayalde has ordered an investigation into reports that Alquiros has been frequently out of the country and since last February 8 has been listed on AWOL status. The NCRPO chief said they are also looking into reports that Alquiros was shelling out a great part of his salary to some of his officials so he would not be marked as absent. If the accusations are proven to be true, the concerned policemen may face dismissal from the force for grave misconduct.

In the case of Alquiros, I learned that MPD Chief of Directorial Staff, my good old friend, Senior Supt. Danny Macerin has asked the Bureau of Immigration to provide them the travel records of the latter. Believe me, there are some policemen who go abroad without official travel orders in violation of government rules and regulations. These are the ordinary cops who can’t be recognized by immigration authorities unless someone squeals on them.

However, they should know that even if they don’t identify themselves as policemen, the Bureau of Immigration can really check their travel records thru their passports and their signed immigration and customs’ papers.

I knew of an incident when a Police Officer 1 bragged that he can go to Hongkong without any travel order. A 1st-time Hongkong traveler, the cop said he doesn’t need any travel order when told so by his companions. At the Clark International Airport, the cop showed up and with all braggadocio, presented his PNP ID to the immigration officer. When asked where his travel order is, he failed to produce any. The result, he returned to Manila and his civilian companions flew to Hongkong.

Many friends from the force have been telling me that in the past, ’15-30’ cops are abundant in Regional and Provincial Public Safety Battalions. One former RPSB commander told me that he was surprised to learn that almost half of his men are missing when he made an accounting. It turned out that his predecessor has allowed the ‘ghost’ RPSB personnel to do other duties like acting as bodyguards or going abroad, of course for tens of thousands of reasons.